Heroes of the Frontier (Paperback)

Staff Reviews

This is the first Eggers I've read, so I can't compare it to his other work, but I can say that I loved this. Josie is a character I will not soon forget, despite her many flaws. And those kids! I didn't want the book to be over - I want to know what happens to them next.

— Suzanna

Description

"A picaresque adventure and spiritual coming-of-age tale -- On the Road crossed with Henderson the Rain King... Deeply affecting." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Longlisted for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

Josie and her children's father have split up, she's been sued by a former patient and lost her dental practice, and she's grieving the death of a young man senselessly killed shortly after enlisting. When her ex asks to take the children to meet his new fiancee's family, Josie makes a run for it to Alaska with her kids, Paul and Ana. At first their trip feels like a vacation: they see bears and bison, they eat hot dogs cooked on a bonfire, and they spend nights parked along icy cold rivers in dark forests. But as they drive in their rattling old RV, pushed north by the ubiquitous wildfires, Josie is chased by enemies both real and imagined, and past mistakes pursue her tiny family, even to the very edge of civilization. A captivating, often hilarious novel of family, loss, wilderness, and the curse of a violent America, Heroes of the Frontier is a powerful examination of our contemporary life and a rousing story of adventure.

About the Author

DAVE EGGERS is the author of ten books, including the national best sellers The Circle and A Hologram for the King, which was a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award. He is the founder of McSweeney's, an independent publishing company based in San Francisco. Eggers is the cofounder of 826 National, a network of eight tutoring centers around the country, and ScholarMatch, a nonprofit organization designed to connect students with resources, schools, and donors to make college possible. He lives in Northern California with his family.